Engineered
by Nanaki BH
Summary: Nobori/Kudari - As their motivations change, so do the rails and their destination.


**Disclaimer:** Pokémon and all related characters and materials are property of Game Freak and Nintendo.  
**Notes:** I love so many pairings in Pokémon, it's ridiculous.

Engineered  
By: Nanaki BH

"Nobori, we should stop."

"Stopping is not an option now. You're open. Don't show any weaknesses." He raises a gloved hand and Excadrill leaps into the air and dives down to create an earth-shattering Earthquake.

The ground is already too uneven and Kudari loses his footing. His head spins as he falls backwards and catches a glimpse of the grey sky. There will be rain soon, probably, which could be good news for his Galvantula, but it seems that the battle is already nearing its end. If his Galvantula weren't there behind him a second later, he'd also be headed toward his own end down a freshly-created crevice.

The Pokémon gently nudges him forward until he can stand again on his own feet without feeling like he'll fall. Ignoring the way his head complains for now, he straightens his cap and points a finger at his brother's Excadrill.

The ordered attack doesn't follow. He glances back quickly and double takes when he realizes that Galvantula has already fallen. With the last of its strength, it had righted its trainer and then succumbed to the hit it endured.

Knowing that Durant is all his brother has left, Nobori returns Excadrill and Haxorus takes its place.

"I believe you can beat me."

"You are only saying that to make me fight."

"Yes, because you should fight. If there is someone who should be able to defeat me, then it should be you. You have to."

Arguments with him remain dull and absolutely pointless because he always agrees. Unlike Nobori though, he knows when a battle has stopped being a challenge and taken its turn to becoming an unavoidable loss. He's got him at two-to-one and he's been backed into the worst corner. Durant is still his weakest and sending him out against Haxorus would be nothing but brutal abuse. While he knows this, Nobori seems to not.

He holds its pokéball in his hand, his fist tightening, and hesitates to throw it.

That second of hesitation is a second lost. Nobori orders his attack. He expects his brother to throw because an opportunity is an opportunity to win, but Kudari feels too weak to be anything but fast.

There's a sharp cry from behind him from his Galvantula and then the pokéball drops from his hand.

It bounces low on the ground a couple of times and then rolls into one of the cracks the Earthquake made and suddenly Kudari's at eye-level with it, even though he can't remember putting his head down.

Then nothing.

Moments, hours later, there are hands on his shoulders but he can't move at all. It feels like he's asleep, but he's aware that someone is picking him up and moving him and somewhere along the way his cap falls off. It's not altogether an unfamiliar feeling. Things like this have happened before, will probably happen again – at least until they find where they're going.

When he finds the strength to open his eyes, he's back on the subway with Nobori, his head on one thigh, his cap resting on the other.

"We should bring pillows."

"We should."

"That always happens. We sleep here anyway. Why not?"

"I agree. You know that. Are you okay? I hope you are."

Kudari turns over to get on his other shoulder, his back facing out into the aisle, and hugs him around the waist. Nobori's cruel a lot, very efficient, and also good as a pillow. He's glad that he blacked out because he didn't want to see Haxorus' tusk in his stomach again. It was bad enough the other times. He's glad that Nobori has healing items, otherwise... No otherwise. This is why they're the strongest. They do what they must.

"I meant it."

"Hm?" he doesn't lift his head up when he speaks, keeps his nose pressed into Nobori's stomach.

"Beating me. I know you can. Why don't you try harder?"

He thinks that's a stupid question. He does try hard. Their strengths and weaknesses are equal. As far as he can see, their strategies are airtight. It's not for lack of trying that he loses to him. It's just hard to explain why he does.

Combinations like theirs are difficult for challenging trainers to understand because they feel too attached to their Pokémon. Whenever someone first steps on the train, they usually enter believing that they can go all the way as long as they have faith in the Pokémon they have been traveling with – but that isn't true. It takes more than faith and effort and luck.

They don't believe in luck. That word is unacceptable to them. A battle is won with the mind. That is how the end of the line is reached.

Kudari can't answer his brother. He can't because fighting him, he realizes, has become impossible for him. When Galvantula fell, he felt something and it hurt – and it didn't come from his head. He didn't feel bad that he was losing. He felt bad that Galvantula lost.

Realizing this, he realizes that can't fight him anymore if he doesn't use more than just his head.

They've always thought the same way, so as he lays there quietly with his cheek on his brother's lap, he wonders if he already knows the answer to his own question.

The end of the line still feels so, so far away.


End file.
